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September 29, 2010

Arcade Fire experienced live is truly magnetic. The breadth and feel of their expansive, eclectic music comes alive on stage.

Opening act Calexico made for a great start last night at the Pacific Coliseum in East Vancouver. Their alernative Tex-Mex folk stylings were a great contrast to Arcade Fire's sheer intensity.

Calexico performed a straightforward set going from song to song with little to no breaks. It was an inviting performance, warming the sparce crowd that slowly trickled in late, vintage Vancouver fashion.

On the floor, kids young and old alike started buzzing as Arcade Fire took the stage shrouded in darkness.

The beginnings of "Ready to Start" sparked an electric feeling as the massive act took the stage.

"Vancouver is like our sister city!"

This was one of the few phrases Win Butler shouted aloud.

By the third song, most of the band members were already drenched in their own sweat.

The sheer energy and enthusiasm with which they played every song was intoxicating.

Each song flowed into the next with bravado as the variety of their tracks makes for a great set list going from sweet ballads to exuberant rock songs.

Their encore of "Wake Up" closed the night fittingly just as "Read to Start" opened it.

The show itself was professional and solid, but the performances on the whole were another thing entirely.

It is difficult to describe the instensity and presence of Arcade Fire live.

Between songs, everyone is running around, changing instruments.

Their shows are all about the music.

Arcade Fire left everything on stage.

The mix of melancholic, breezy songs complimented the brazen energy of their rock anthems very well.

The raw energy from their live performances make them one of the more premiere concert acts and one of the best live performers around.

The evening was electric and their music comes even more alive standing ten feet away from the Montreal band of musical misfits.

Setlist:
1) Ready to Start 2) Neighborhood #2 (Laïka) 3) No Cars Go

4) Haiti 5) Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

6) Modern Man 7) Rococo 8) The Suburbs

9) The Suburbs (Continued) 10) Suburban War 11) Intervention

12) We Used to Wait 13) Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)

14) Rebellion (Lies) 15) Month of May 16) Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

Encore:
1) Keep the Car Running 2) Wake Up

Note: Read my concert review on the CBC Radio 3 blog. A couple of my photos made the Georgia Straight online edition here and here.